South Florida Women’s Soccer Battles Mercer to 2-2 Draw

Thursday, September 10

Tampa, Fla.

7:00 P.M.

University of South Florida

2-4-1, 0-0-0

Mercer

5-3-1, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Mercer	0	2	2
South Fla.	1	1	2

South Florida Women’s Soccer Battles Mercer to 2-2 Draw

September 11, 2026 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Brooke Fabri scored her first collegiate goal, while Sophia Cabral added her third goal of the season

TAMPA, FLA. (September 10, 2026) – South Florida women's soccer (2-4-1) battled Mercer (5-3-1) to a 2-2- draw on Thursday night at Corbett Stadium following a two-hour weather delay prior to kickoff.

After a lengthy delay, the Bulls came out attacking early and found the opening goal in the 17^th minute. Brooke Fabri unleashed a shot with her left foot from well outside the box, sending it into the top-right corner of the goal to give South Florida a 1-0 lead. The goal marked Fabri's first collegiate goal.

Mercer looked to respond in the 20^th minute, but Marely Fonseca was there to make the save and preserve the Bulls' lead.

South Florida carried its momentum into halftime, holding a 7-3 advantage in shots through the opening 45 minutes.

Mercer quickly leveled the match coming out of the break. In the 46^th minute, Marianna Rapani sent a cross into the box that found Elizabeth Michaelson, who finished the opportunity to make it a 1-1 game.

The Bears took their first lead of the night in the 66^th minute when Olivia Bori found Emily Rutkowski, who put Mercer ahead 2-1.

The Bulls continued to pressure the Bears' defense in search of an equalizer, and their efforts paid off in the 79^th minute. McKenna Battilla set up Sophia Cabral, who raced toward the net, using a series of dribble moves to create space before finding the back of the net to level the match at 2-2. The goal marked Cabral's third of the season.

Just one minute later, the Bulls had another opportunity to take the lead after a handball was called in the box, awarding South Florida its second penalty kick of the night. Fabri stepped up for the attempt, but Mercer's goalkeeper Avery Parker made the save to keep the match level at 2-2.

Neither team could find the game-winning goal in the final minutes as the Bulls and Bears settled for a draw.

Fonseca made her first start in goal, playing all 90 minutes and recording three saves,

Note-A-Bulls

Sophia Cabral scored her third goal of the season.
Brooke Fabri scored her first collegiate goal.
McKenna Batilla recorded her first assist of the season
Marely Fonseca made her first start in goal, playing all 90 minutes and recording three saves,
The all-time series between South Florida and Mercer now stands at 1-0-1.

Up Next
The Bulls will hit the road next week, traveling to Denton, Texas, for their conference opener against North Texas. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.

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Get your tickets today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.

About South Florida Women's Soccer
Chris Brown enters his third season as USF head coach after a record-setting debut in 2024, leading the Bulls to 12 wins and coaching both the American Athletic Conference Midfielder and Goalkeeper of the Year. South Florida produced six all-conference players. He recorded the most wins in a debut season with 12 wins. Brown followed that success by guiding the Bulls to a 9-8-3 overall record and a trip to the American Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals in 2025, as South Florida earned a first-round tournament victory and secured three selections to the American Athletic Conference Preseason Watch List entering 2026. Brown spent 17 years as associate head coach (2007–2023), helping USF to three American Athletic Conference titles, eight NCAA appearances, and a 10-year streak of 10+ win seasons. He coached USF's first All-American, Evelyne Viens, now a Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist, and has developed multiple American Athletic Conference award winners. Players under his guidance hold most of the program's records.

– #GoBulls –